How to Expand Globally: Tips for International Ecommerce Part 1

June 12, 2018

A key growth engine for online retailers is cross-border
ecommerce. Looking at the numbers should be enough to suppress any
doubts you might have that global ecommerce provides a lucrative
opportunity for your business. By 2020, global consumers will spend
$4.06 trillion annually. According to eMarketer, the fastest
growth will be happening in the Asia-Pacific region at 31.5%.

Going global can be a very daunting task, you have to address
things like languages, cultures, currencies, taxes, shipping,
duties and customs. Below are tips for navigating the challenges of
international ecommerce.

Create a Strategy & Choose Your Target Market

If this is your first time expanding into
international markets, you may want to begin on a smaller scale.
You can experiment with a few products in a few markets, but use
data to justify which products and markets you choose. Spend time
looking at your analytics to see which countries have a demand for
your products.

No matter how you begin, the following tips and tricks will be
sure to assist you in preparing:

Pick a target market. It's essential to do your homework on
your target market. Learning about who your international customers
are, what they shop for and where they shop online will help you
tailor your marketing plan for your audiences' needs.

Gather your intelligence. Look at your own data to find out who
is buying your products and where they're from. Expand into these
markets.

Research the demand trends. Researching the top countries that
demand your products will help you choose your target markets. If
there is a demand or a gap in the market, it is your chance to
expand there. There are also certain spending patterns that you can
research.

Research International Payment Methods

Now that you know who your target market is, it's time to figure
out how they'll pay. There are two primary reasons why the
check-out is where most buyers tend to abandon their shopping
carts. Either they don't feel their information will be handled
securely or they cannot find their preferred payment method.

Payment methods vary around the globe, so research your target
markets' preferred payment methods. In Germany, for example, around
half of payments are done through online bank transfers. In the
Netherlands, more than half of payments are done through direct
debit.

Security is extremely important, so make sure your payment
provider has a strict privacy policy and a solid reputation for
information security

Further Resources on Global Business

Globalization Partners International (GPI) has
extensive experience localizing marketing materials, technical
documents, and large, scalable websites. We have previously posted
a number of useful guides for best practices in this area. Feel
free to review our blogs that are particularly relevant:

Please feel free to contact GPI at info@globalizationpartners.com with any
questions about our language and technology services. Also let us
know if you have any interesting blog topics you would like us to
cover in our future blogs. You may request a complimentary Translation Quote for your projects.

Farah Fathy - Global SEO SpecialistFarah is a native Arabic speaker born and residing in Cairo, Egypt. She received her degree in Commerce and English from Ain-Shams University studying marketing, management, economics and accounting. Her experience includes working in various specialties in global digital marketing with specific training in Link Building, Website Traffic Analysis, On-page Optimization and Off-page Optimization as well as standard Social Media Marketing. She is skilled in a variety of tools including Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Light Room and SEO tools such as Google Keyword Planner, SeoMoz, Opensite Explorer, Google Analytics and Webmaster Tools. She enjoys playing sports such as swimming and basketball and loves to read in her spare time.